Language outcomes and influencing factors in children with language delay: a retrospective cohort analysis

Language delay (LD) is a common developmental issue, but the understanding of its natural language outcomes is still limited. This study tracked the language development outcomes and influencing factors of LD longitudinally, providing a basis for early identification and intervention. The medical records of children aged 12 to 36 months were retrospectively analyzed. Logistic regression analysis, Cox regression analysis, chi-square test and t-test were performed to analyze the influencing factors of children with LD to catch up with their peers in language abilities. A total of 442 subjects were included. Of these, 18.6% caught up with their peers in language comprehension, 12.4% in language expression, and 5.9% showed catch-up in both domains. Binary logistic regression identified the age at the first visit, paternal education level and expression developmental quotient as predictors of natural catch-up in language comprehension, whereas the age at the first visit and paternal education level remained significant in the Cox proportional hazards model. Given the low rate of natural language catch-up in children with LD, early and individualized intervention are essential. Clinicians should emphasize early identification, assess developmental baseline level, and promote child-centered, communication-rich environments engaging parents to improve children's language development outcomes.